Officer accidentally fired gun while responding to hoax shooting call at Collin College

A Plano police officer at Collin College accidentally fired his gun Thursday while responding to a call on the campus, which was one of several across the state to receive a hoax phone call about an active shooter, according to an email obtained by the Star-Telegram.

The campus will not resume classes until Friday, according to the email. Collin College originally announced that classes would resume at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Collin College was one of at least seven institutions in Texas to receive the hoax phone calls about an active shooter Thursday. Other colleges that reported receiving similar calls on Thursday included Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Baylor University in Waco, Texas A&M University in College Station, Del Mar College Heritage Campus in Corpus Christi, Galen College of Nursing in San Antonio and Tyler Junior College in Tyler.

In the email, Collin College District President Neil Matkin told employees that a Plano police officer accidentally discharged his firearm on the second floor of the I building as officers were making their way toward the library.

Plano police could not be immediately reached for comment.

Matkin said in the email that nobody was hurt but “it made an already tense situation even scarier.”

“For those of you on site, I know this was a scary and difficult situation,” Matkin said. “There is no shame in being afraid in these kinds of potentially horrific, life threatening events. I was afraid and I was in the parking lot. However, I find great comfort that this is something our Collin police and staff routinely train for a planned response.”

The community college district is working to make counseling services available to students and employees at its Plano campus.

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